Amputee

Getting There

After months of being at the academy, I have endured the hardest parts of my life.

Besides getting my leg chopped off.

I trained endlessly on the same turns, transitions, leaps, and stretches for days and hours on end. My 15 hour day consisted of lean eating, putting my body through extreme stress, hot showers, endless lectures, and much needed sleep. My routine pretty much put me at the top of the school, putting Lizzie and McKenna below me. Yet, I wasn't as popular as them. 

As the end of the year approached, the big school showcase crept closer. Each year, the academy has a showcase for the parents and friends of the dancers. So far, I chose to be in the pointe ballet group. We will be performing the Nutcracker, which I thought it was a bit odd, since it's usually performed in the winter. 

Now, the stakes are even higher with the role of Clara being up for grabs. At first, I thought I wasn't going to audition, but Cheklove thought I should audition. 

"I don't think I'm good enough, though," I said. 

"Ginger," Cheklove said through her thick, Russian accent, "You have come so far. Personally, I think you are one of the top pointe dancers in this school."

My jaw dropped as the words came out of her tight, thin, red lips. As I tried to make up my mind quickly, the 5 seconds I used felt like 30 minutes.

"I'll do it," I stated, smiling and my cheeks turning red. 

I told myself, from then til the showcase, I will work my absolute hardest. I stopped eating sugar and high calories, did exercises outside classes, and did extra ballet classes. Along with dance, I kept my grades all above a 95. 

Each day was exhausting, with me getting up at 5:30 am and falling asleep at 11 pm. My body ached everywhere and I kept forgetting to take showers for days at a time. I even forgot to call, mum, dad, and Peter! 

One day, in the middle of my English class, it felt like I was going to pass out from exhaustion and hunger. That month, I had lost 10 pounds, but gained a ton of muscle. To make it worse, Lizzie and McKenna were sitting behind me. 

"Ew, it looks like someone forgot to take their monthly shower," snickered McKenna. 

I ignored her, knowing that she's only trying to get into my head. 

"With that hair, she's never going to get Clara, like you!" Lizzie teased. 

My eye widened as Lizzie said that McKenna was also competing for Clara, too. I knew that McKenna is a very good ballet dancer, and got the lead role last year. She also has her way with the teachers. Apparently, her parents are extremely rich and donate to the academy every year, which gives her the upper hand. This means I have to try even harder.